Fox & Friends fearmongers about potential price of “Medicare-for-all” plan, even though overall health care spending would be about the same

Written by Grace Bennett

Published

During the July 31 edition of Fox News’ Fox & Friends, hosts Ainsley Earhardt and Steve Doocy, along with Fox News medical correspondent Marc Siegel, cited a study by the Koch-affiliated Mercatus Center in order to attack Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) “Medicare-for-all” plan. The study found that Sanders’ plan, which would provide free health care to all Americans, would increase government spending by roughly $32 trillion over 10 years. While discussing the study’s results, Earhardt complained that Sanders and New York congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D), whom Fox has repeatedly attacked, “have made it crystal clear they want free health care for all, for all ages.” Siegel then commented that there was “no way” the United States could afford a $32 trillion plan, even if we “double all of our income taxes that individuals and corporations pay over 10 years.”

The Fox gang failed to clarify, however, that while the study found that the plan would raise overall federal spending, the “overall health care spending in the United States over the same period” would be slightly reduced, according to Vox. In fact, Vox says that, “many or even most Americans could end up saving money on their premiums or on out-of-pocket costs.” In other words, under Sanders’ plan, the country would spend roughly the same amount on health care overall, and would also enjoy universal health care coverage -- but you won’t hear that on Fox & Friends:

AINSLEY EARHARDT (CO-HOST): Bernie Sanders and the new Democratic darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, they have made it crystal clear that they want free health care for all, for all ages.

...

STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): $32.6 trillion over 10 years. Can we afford that?

MARC SIEGEL (FOX NEWS MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT): Well, give you an idea what that is, Steve -- the short answer is no, we can’t even -- no way. Here's what it is. We’d have to double all of our income taxes that individuals and corporations pay over 10 years -- double and we still wouldn't be able to afford it.

EARHARDT: Wow.

SIEGEL: That's how expensive $32.6 trillion is. And why is it so expensive? We’re getting rid of the co-pays, we’re getting rid of the deductibles, government pays for everything. This is single payer. This is what Canada has. This is when you wait online, this is when you can't get your hip replacement, you can’t get your cardiac stent done. This is where the government rations care at an enormous expense.